Ooty
Ooty, also known as Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam, is the capital of the Nilgiris (Blue Mountains) district, situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. It used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the Raj.There are plenty of trekking and hiking opportunities. At a height of 2623 meters above sea level, Doddabetta is the highest peak of the Nilgiris hills and is the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
Toy train
An added attraction for travellers to Udhagamandalam is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track which operates from Kallar, near Mettupalayam, and wends its way through hair-raising curves and mysterious tunnels, along deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens.The construction of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a 46-km long metre-gauge single-track railway, was started in 1891 and completed in 1908. This railway, which climbs from 326 metres to 2,203 metres, utilised the latest technology of the time. This lovely train is now a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. Unfortunately, landslides often interrupt services these days.
